Buckingham County is a county in Virginia, United States, in the rolling Piedmont between the James and Appomattox rivers. It had a population of 16,824 at the 2020 census and covers 580 square miles (1,500 km2) of land centred near 37°34′N 78°32′W.
Buckingham Courthouse is the county seat, and its postal code is 23921. The county has one incorporated town (Dillwyn), two census-designated places (Buckingham Courthouse and Yogaville), and dozens of small unincorporated communities and crossroads. Buckingham observes Eastern Time and carries FIPS code 51029.
Towns & Villages in Buckingham County
Buckingham County has no cities. Dillwyn is its only incorporated town; Buckingham Courthouse and Yogaville are census-designated places (CDPs) with no municipal government of their own. Everything else on the list below is an unincorporated community — a crossroads store, church, or rail stop that never took on formal town status. Population and ZIP figures are shown only where a place has its own U.S. Census or postal designation; other communities use —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Courthouse | CDP · seat | — | 23921 |
| Dillwyn | Town | — | 23936 |
| Yogaville | CDP | — | — |
| Alcoma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Allenslevel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alpha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Andersonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arvonia | Unincorp. | — | 23004 |
| Axtell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bridgeport | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Camm | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Campbell Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Centenary | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curdsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dentons Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eldridge Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eldridge Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gilliamsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gold Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gravel Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grays Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Katrine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| LeSueur | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Manteo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Rush | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Vinco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Canton | Unincorp. | — | 23123 |
| New Mount Vinco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nuckols | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Mount Vinco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paynes Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Penlan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ransons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Joy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sheppards | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Slate Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sliders | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smith Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sprouses Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Side | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taggart | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Toga | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woods Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| York Haven Anchorage | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two pairs of names on this list are easy to mix up. Buckingham Courthouse (the CDP, and the county seat) is a different place from the town of Buckingham that appears on some maps as a postal name only — both share ZIP 23921. And Mount Rush, New Mount Vinco, and Old Mount Vinco are three separate, closely spaced hamlets along the same rural road, not one place under three names.
ZIP Codes
- 23921 — Buckingham (also serves Buckingham Courthouse)
- 23936 — Dillwyn
- 23123 — New Canton
- 23004 — Arvonia
Two more ZIPs, 24562 (Howardsville) and 24599 (Wingina), extend into Buckingham County’s northwestern edge along the James River even though their post offices sit just across the Nelson and Albemarle county lines. Most of the smaller crossroads on the settlement list above share one of the four ZIPs listed rather than having their own.
Geography
Buckingham County sits in the Piedmont, the belt of rolling hills between the fall line and the Blue Ridge. The James River forms most of its northern boundary and the Appomattox River its southern edge, and the county holds the traditionally cited geographic centre of Virginia, near the community of Mount Rush. Farmland, pine plantation, and hardwood forest cover most of the 580 square miles of land; water is a small share of the total, mostly the James River shoreline and small farm ponds.
Buckingham borders Cumberland County to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, Appomattox County to the southwest, Nelson County to the west, Albemarle County to the northwest, and Fluvanna County to the northeast.
Demographics
Buckingham County had 16,824 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 29 people per square mile. Dillwyn is the largest incorporated place; Buckingham Courthouse, the CDP that houses the courthouse and county offices, is the largest unincorporated centre. The county’s median household income runs well below the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting its rural, agriculture- and timber-based economy; zip-codes.com’s own postal-area figures for the county’s ZIP codes range from roughly $50,000 to $68,000.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry have anchored the county’s economy since its founding — cattle, hay, and timber remain major land uses, and Buckingham State Forest covers a large public tract in the county’s north-central section. Buckingham Correctional Center and Dillwyn Correctional Center are two of the county’s larger employers. Since the early 2020s, several utility-scale solar farms have been built or proposed on former farmland, adding a new sector alongside the traditional construction, retail, and healthcare jobs based mostly in and around Dillwyn and Buckingham Courthouse.
History
Buckingham County was formed on May 1, 1761, out of the southern part of Albemarle County. Its name probably honours the Duke of Buckingham, though some local histories trace it instead to “Buckingham,” the name of an estate belonging to early landowner Archibald Cary. Union Hill and the surrounding area were home to one of Virginia’s oldest free Black communities before the Civil War, and Yogaville, founded in the 1980s as the seat of the Integral Yoga community, remains a distinctive landmark on the James River in the county’s northwest corner.
Getting There
US 15 crosses the county north–south and US 60 crosses it east–west, meeting near Sprouses Corner; State Routes 20, 24, and 56 fill in the secondary network.
- Farmville — 20 miles south
- Charlottesville — 35 miles north
- Lynchburg — 40 miles southwest
- Richmond — 60 miles east
Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Buckingham County, Virginia?
It is in the Piedmont region of central Virginia, between the James and Appomattox rivers, roughly midway between Charlottesville and Farmville.
What is the population of Buckingham County?
16,824 at the 2020 census.
How big is Buckingham County?
580 square miles (1,500 km2) of land plus 3.9 square miles (10 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Buckingham County?
Buckingham Courthouse.
How many towns are in Buckingham County?
One incorporated town, Dillwyn, plus two census-designated places (Buckingham Courthouse and Yogaville) and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Buckingham County?
23921 (Buckingham), 23936 (Dillwyn), 23123 (New Canton), and 23004 (Arvonia), plus parts of 24562 and 24599 near the James River.
What is the geographic centre of Virginia?
It is traditionally located in Buckingham County, near the community of Mount Rush.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.